Mid-York Sports Reporthttps://midyorksportsreport.com
Your one stop for local youth, high school and college sports news and informationSat, 17 Mar 2018 17:02:10 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.4Shamrock Showdown Hockey Tourney Underwayhttps://midyorksportsreport.com/2018/03/shamrock-showdown-hockey-tourney-underway/
Sat, 17 Mar 2018 16:50:51 +0000https://midyorksportsreport.com/?p=9283Whitestown – Since it looks and feels like winter outside, what could be better than a good old fashioned hockey game inside? Better still, how about a whole bunch of mid-March hockey games?

If hockey is your thing, like it is for the hundreds of players and family members taking part in the Whitestown Youth Hockey Shamrock Showdown, then the Whitestown Community Center is the place for you this weekend.

Since Friday afternoon, eighteen (18) “Mite” hockey teams (ages 8 and under) from across New York State have been pushing pucks around two rinks set up for the sport’s youngest competitive age group.

Once again, the Whitestown Youth Hockey Association, under the terrific organization of Tournament Director Sarah Bowers (along with a small army of volunteers), have gone above and beyond when it comes to providing a great environment for the visiting teams.

Players, fans and families can enjoy some great local and home made food, a huge raffle table and some great local products all weekend long.

The host “Wolfpack” has 4 teams entered in this weekend’s event, along with 4 from nearby Rome Youth Hockey, 3 from Saratoga, along with teams from Clifton Park, 3 from Valley (Syracuse), 1 from Monroe County and 3 from Camillus.

The Shamrock Showdown is one of several tournaments hosted by the Whitestown Youth Hockey Association each season. Whitestown is comprised of more than 200 boys and girls ranging in age from 4 to 18.

The Shamrock Showdown is not only a major fundraiser for Whitestown Youth Hockey Association, but a also a big boost to the local economy, with approximately 100 families staying in local hotels, eating in local restaurants and shopping in local stores during the three day event.

Play continues into the evening on Saturday, with championship games in three divisions slated for Sunday morning.

Congratulations to all participants as well as the Whitestown Youth Hockey Association for putting on yet another first class tournament!

]]>Jugglers Run Out of Gas, Fall In Regional Finalhttps://midyorksportsreport.com/2018/03/jugglers-run-out-of-gas-fall-in-regional-final/
Sun, 11 Mar 2018 02:14:05 +0000https://midyorksportsreport.com/?p=9278TROY – The Utica-Notre Dame Jugglers had spent more time than they cared to recount on a bus this weekend, shuttling all over the state in a whirlwind tour of college basketball venues (and possible future places to study).

However, what started out as a whirlwind week for the Jugglers ended on a sour note at Hudson Valley Community College.

Senior guard Dante Griffin scored 24 points, while fellow classmate Nick Courto added another eight in a game the Jugglers kept close. However, it was Section II’s Mohonasen getting the last laugh, starting the overtime period on a 9-0 run to eke out a 76-71 victory in the regional finals. The Warriors have punched their ticket to the New York State Final Four in Binghamton with the win, while the Jugglers head back to Utica with the regional runner-up trophy.

“I’m proud of these guys,” Notre Dame head coach Ryan Goux said. “Sectional champion, regional final…they fought hard to get here. They can’t take that away from them.”

From the outset, though, it looked like the Jugglers were going to just blow the Warriors right out of the water. After allowing the first basket to Mohonasen, Notre Dame went on a 10-point tear, assisted by three-point shots from Griffin and junior Treijen Garrett. Add to that a tough presence under the basket from Courto, and the Jugglers cruised to a 12-5 lead halfway through the first quarter.

The tenacious Warriors would not be denied, however. Banking on their own tough presence under the basket from senior Avery Deas, the Warriors smothered the Jugglers in the low post, not letting Notre Dame have any easy shots, and picking off errant passes from all over. When it was all said and done, Mohonasen finished the quarter on an 11-2 run, keeping the Jugglers close on the scoreboard, entering the second period only down 14-13.

“That Notre Dame team is legit,” Mohonasen head coach Joshua Peck said of the Jugglers. “They put up a lot of points…we knew [Griffin] was going to be a player for them.”

It was more of the same from Mohonasen in the second quarter, clogging up the shooting lane with their own big players (none of the Warriors measured below six feet) and not allowing any layups from the smaller Notre Dame players. However, the Warriors could not pull away, as the end of the first half became a back-and-forth affair. In all, the two teams would hit four three-point shots down the stretch to keep the other close. Unfortunately for the Jugglers, they would knock down only four long-range shots in the entire first half, while the Warriors went an impressive 54 percent from the field to keep the lead at one, 28-27 going into the locker room.

“We just didn’t shoot the ball well tonight, and they did,” Goux said.

Nowhere was that more evident than in the third quarter, when the Warriors came out of the locker room firing on all cylinders. Long-range shots from junior Duncan Tallman and senior Greg Van Epps allowed Mohonasen to pull out on an 8-2 run to start. Meanwhile, Deas was a force to be reckoned with, bullying the smaller Jugglers under the basket for almost every single rebound. That would be the way most of the third quarter would go: the triple threat of Deas, Tallman and Van Epps making the tough shots from all over the floor, while Notre Dame continued to play catch-up from the other side of the floor.

The Jugglers would make it a game late, however, as junior Jaylen Warmack hit a clutch three-pointer, as would Griffin, to pull the lead to three. The senior was not done, however, stealing the ball with just a few seconds left and driving the floor to beat the buzzer on a finger roll to cut Mohonasen’s lead to 48-47 at the third quarter buzzer.

The script would be flipped in the final quarter, as the Jugglers would score the first four points to take a three-point lead. Griffin, as he had been for most of the game, continued to buzz around the taller Warriors, picking off several bad passes and turning them into points. Unfortunately for Notre Dame, they couldn’t get the lead past three points, as the Mohonasen defense continued to smother shots from everywhere.

“I don’t think they scored many baskets [in the fourth quarter],” Goux said. “They got them from the line. Mohonasen’s a tough team, they fought hard.”

Luckily, the Juggler defense, as they had been all night, kept Mohonasen within striking distance as well, not letting them get any further than three ahead. That set up what would be one of the most dramatic finishes of the night, as with a three-point deficit, Van Epps and Tallman, as they did all night, took advantage, sinking back-to-back shots to give the Warriors the lead with less than 20 seconds left. Junior Derek Lindsay would bring the game back to within one on a late tip-in, and Garrett would tie up the score with just seconds left, going one-for-two on the free-throw line to send the game into overtime.

“At the end of regulation, we almost coughed it up,” Peck said. “Our players recommitted themselves and started knocking down free throws. I think everyone had us as a big dog tonight. We just had to commit ourselves to our defensive mentality.”

That’s exactly what the Warriors did to start the extra period, starting it on a 9-0 run and holding Notre Dame scoreless for almost half of the overtime period. Unfortunately, that was where it started to go off the rails for the Jugglers. Courto would be involved in a shoving match with several Mohonasen players late in the quarter, which would get him an early exit from the game.

“It’s competition,” Peck said. “We preach emotional control. We made it clear they don’t come off the bench.”

In all, three technical fouls would be assessed, two to Mohonasen players for coming off the bench, and one to Courto, which effectively ended his high school basketball career. Neither Courto, nor the rest of the Jugglers were available for comment after the game.

From there, the Warriors played keep-away with the ball, outscoring the Jugglers 17-12 in the final period to celebrate a big victory for the Mohonasen program. While most of the Jugglers left Hudson Valley Community College with their heads hung low, Goux reflected on a great Notre Dame season.

“This whole team, we’ve been playing together since eighth grade,” Goux said. “We play as a team, [and] they did something special together. It was a tough game…we had a lot of opportunities, and we didn’t get anything from them. I’m proud of these guys though, especially the seniors.”

Meanwhile, Peck now has a bigger goal to look forward to: a shot at the New York State Class A championship.

“As the year went on, they slowly started to buy in [the system,]” Peck said. “We’re not just little Mohonasen anymore…we’re playing tough.”

Knowing what is needed and executing the plan are two different things as the Cougars’ trapping defense took the Indians out of their rhythm for most of Saturday’s New York State Class D Regional Final as Edwards-Knox advanced with a 58-42 victory at Onondaga Community College’s SRC Arena.

Carly Frary had 20 points and eight rebounds, while point guard Koryn Rowe had 16 points, eight rebounds and four steals as Edwards-Knox (21-1) grabbed the lead for good midway through the first quarter and slowly extended the advantage to oust the Section 3 champions.

“They sped us up a little, but we had too many unforced turnovers,” Waterville head coach Larry Stockwell said. “We had a bad game. … We had an off day at the worst time, and you can’t do that when you get to this level. I take nothing away from (Edwards-Knox). It hurts right now … but we’ll be back. I’m still proud of them.”

Waterville battled Edwards-Knox in the New York State Quarterfinals Saturday at SRC Arena. (Photo provided by Syracuse.com)

The Cougars, fresh off winning its first-ever sectional title, advance to next weekend’s New York State Final Four at Hudson Valley Community College. The Cougars will meet Franklinville at 2:15 p.m. Saturday in a state semifinal. The final is set for 11:45 a.m. Sunday.

“We came out frazzled,” Wittenbeck said. “We fell to their pressure. We knew they were going to press … but it was tough.”

Waterville was ice cold from the field throughout the majority of the game. The Indians made just 14-of-53 field goals, including 4-of-16 three-pointers.

“We kept in our 3-2 (zone) to stop them from shooting,” Rowe said. “When they started making them we moved it up.”

Led by Rowe and Abigail Hart, the Cougars forced the Indians into 20 turnovers, while center Riannon Holly’s 17 rebounds helped Edwards-Knox gain a 45-31 advantage on the glass.

“They outrebounded us badly.” Stockwell said. “We were making uncharacteristic passes and didn’t handle (the pressure) well today.”

Both teams came out tentative, with the Indians grabbing a 6-4 lead midway through the opening quarter. Then Rowe settled her team down, getting the ball inside to Holly and to wing shooters Carly and Lucy Frary, who combined for 10 first-quarter points to give the Cougars a 12-8 lead entering the second.

Rowe continued to dominate in the second, scoring six of her eight first-half points, while grabbing five rebounds and two steals.

“They weren’t ready for it and we definitely took advantage of it,” Rowe said of her team’s pressure defense.

The pressure also allowed the Cougars to get out in transition as Rowe, on several occasions, grabbed a steal or defensive rebound and blazed for coast-to-coast hoops.

“We wanted to move ball as fast as we could because we’re a fast-paced team,” said Rowe, who netted six points in each of the second and third quarters to help the Cougars take control.

With Rowe controlling the perimeter, Holly was tough for the Indians to handle in the paint as the junior finished with six points and 11 rebounds in the first half as the Cougars extended its lead to 26-10 with 2:31 remaining in the half.

Despite being dominated in nearly every statistical category, the Indians kept fighting, and after a pair of free throws by Williams and a wing 3-pointer by reserve guard Anna Beach with 35 seconds remaining in the half, Waterville trailed by just 11 (26-15) at the break.

Beach’s basket was the lone field goal for Waterville in the second quarter, and the Indians had to feel good about being down just 11 heading into the second half. However, Waterville couldn’t carry the momentum into the third as the Cougars pounced on the Indians with a 10-4 run to open the third quarter and extended its lead to 36-19 as Rowe laid in a hoop off a nice feed from Carly Frary with 3:48 remaining in the quarter.

Waterville answered with a 9-4 run, led by five points from Williams, but Carly Frary ended the quarter with a 3-pointer from the left wing to make it 43-28.

Wittenbeck couldn’t find the range through the first three quarters, but scored all of her team-high 12 points in the fourth as Waterville made a desperate comeback attempt.

“I wish I turned it up a little earlier,” Wittenbeck said.

Wittenbeck hit on a drive to go along with a pair of 3-pointers to help Waterville cut the lead to 53-42 with 2:15 remaining, but the Cougars closed out the victory with a solid 13-for-18 from the foul line in the fourth. Leading the way was Hart, who made 9-of-10 from the stripe in the final quarter.

“We started out really slow,” Williams said. “We were just tentative and let the pressure get into our heads when it shouldn’t have. I’m proud of our team. This is the farthest we’ve made it since 1997.”

Wittenbeck had a memorable senior season as she surpassed the 1,000-point milestone in the Indians’ regular-season finale, and then led her team to its sixth-ever Section 3 title with a 52-45 win over Brookfield at the Carrier Dome.

“It was a great run and I’m so proud of my team,” Wittenbeck said. “I love this team. This season was amazing. I’ll remember it the rest of my life.”

Stockwell has been part of five of those titles, spanning over four different decades (1989, 1997, 2003, 2005, 2018). He now has 374 career wins which sits fourth all-time in the state for coaching victories by a girls basketball coach.

Hart finished with 10 points for Edwards-Knox. Kathleen Gallagher and Janelle Cleary scored six points, while Aliah Decker had five for Waterville.

]]>Notre Dame Rolls Over Bishop Grimeshttps://midyorksportsreport.com/2018/03/notre-dame-rolls-over-bishop-grimes/
Mon, 05 Mar 2018 01:56:38 +0000https://midyorksportsreport.com/?p=9174SYRACUSE — Notre Dame has been the dominant team in Class A all season.

During Sunday’s Class A final at the Carrier Dome the top-seeded Jugglers proved it once again as senior guard Dante Griffin came out sizzling and finished with a career-high 35 points to lead Notre Dame to an 81-65 victory over Bishop Grimes.

Treijen Garrett scored 13 points and Jaylen Warmack had 11 for the Jugglers, who hit 13-of-24 three pointers in earning the program’s 13th sectional title and first since 2006. Notre Dame (20-3) advances to play Section 10’s Malone (Franklin Academy) at 7:45 p.m. Wednesday at SUNY Potsdam in the first round of the New York State Boys Basketball Tournament.

“After I hit the first shot I felt like everything else was going to go in,” said Griffin, the tournament’s most valuable player. “Playing on this court feels better than any court. I knew it was going to be a big day. It feels amazing … honestly even better than I thought it would. This is basically what I’ve been dreaming of my entire life. I’m just excited to have a big win and a big game on a big stage like this.”

The Notre Dame Jugglers pose with the banner after winning the Section 3 Class A title at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse. (Photo courtesy of Syracuse.com)

T.J. Bradford led Grimes with 17 points, while Tong Mading and David Mo had 16 and 15, respectively for the Cobras (13-10).

Notre Dame never trailed as Griffin came out on fire, hitting three 3-pointers in the opening 1:50 to stake the Jugglers to an early 9-3 advantage. Griffin wasn’t finished, closing out the quarter with 15 points as the Jugglers held a five-point lead at 18-13.

“The basket got big for him,” Bishop Grimes head coach Bob McKenney said. “He played an unbelievable game. … That’s the kind of game that gets you recruited.”

Notre Dame faced some adversity early in the second as Griffin picked up his third foul with 6:42 remaining in the half. His teammates came through as role player Sam Bianco and usual suspects Garrett and Warmack helped the Jugglers explode for 23 points in the second to extend the lead to 17 at the break.

After going scoreless in the first quarter, Warmack scored seven points in the second. Garrett, who made the all-tournament team, also had seven points, while Bianco, a reserve guard, hit two big 3-pointers to hold off any momentum the Cobras attempted to build.

“It pumped us up,” Warmack said of Griffin’s hot start. “He hit three 3’s early. … It brought us energy and made us play better.”

In all, the Jugglers hit nine 3-pointers in the opening half on 13 attempts and made 13 of 22 field goals.

“We shot the ball very well early,” Notre Dame head coach Ryan Goux said. “We talked about penetrating and kicking out early and we hit shots. Dante was hot early and I’m proud of him. He was on the big stage and he stepped up and performed. Our bench has performed extremely well this year. We have guys coming off our bench that are better than some other teams’ starters.”

Grimes stayed close by dominating the boards, especially on the offensive end where they held a whopping 27-4 advantage. In all, the Cobras outrebounded Notre Dame 51-30, but couldn’t convert enough to move any closer than 11 in the second half.

“We were 27 of 74,” McKenney said. “We had to shoot it better. Notre Dame has a great team. They were the best team coming in and they held their spot. I give all the credit to Notre Dame. They were the frontrunner and they deserved it.”

The Jugglers opened the third with a 14-5 run, and pushed its lead to 55-29 on Griffin’s fifth 3-pointer of the game with 4:14 remaining in the quarter. After Bianco’s third 3-pointer of the game extended the advantage to a whopping 28 points (61-33) with 2:01 left in the third, Warmack left the game with a minor injury and the Cobras struck with a 14-0 run to cut the deficit in half.

Helping fuel the run was Grimes’ dominance on the offensive glass as Mo and Mading accounted for eight of the 14 points on put-backs.

Needing to fight off Grimes’ final charge, Griffin stopped the run with a tough driving finish through contact. After that hoop, Notre Dame re-established full control and took a 70-51 lead midway through the fourth on four straight points by Griffin, who scored 11 in the final quarter.

“I had to make sure that something like the last game didn’t happen,” Griffin said of seeing a 20-point lead nearly evaporate in Notre Dame’s 51-48 home win against Grimes on Jan. 20.

This isn’t the end for the Jugglers, who have their sights set on a bigger prize. However, winning the sectional title this season has been one of the major goals for the Jugglers, who were the top seed last season but were knocked off by rival Whitesboro in the quarterfinals.

This season the Jugglers haven’t lost to a Class A team. Their only defeats have come to Class AA competition (twice to Rome Free Academy and once to Bishop Ludden). The Jugglers also avenged last season’s quarterfinal loss by defeating Whitesboro three times this season, including ousting the Warriors 59-45 in the semifinals.

To claim the title, Notre Dame also had to go through the Cobras for a third time. The battle-tested Jugglers did that with relative ease in claiming their sixth straight victory and 15th win in their past 16 games.

“After last year’s tough loss, this year’s schedule we played bigger and better teams from across the state to prepare us for this kind of run,” Goux said.

Warmack was stoic after the victory. The junior guard is eight points short of joining the 1,000-point club, but has put the team’s next practice and next challenge in the forefront of his mind.

“We just have to work hard, prepare and come out and play as a team,” Warmack said. “We’re focused on the next game.”

]]>Furious Cooperstown Rally Falls Shorthttps://midyorksportsreport.com/2018/03/furious-cooperstown-rally-falls-short/
Sun, 04 Mar 2018 21:36:44 +0000https://midyorksportsreport.com/?p=9217SYRACUSE – On paper, the Section III Class C championship on Sunday at the Carrier Dome was supposed to come down to the two biggest men on the court: Tully’s 6-foot-9 dynamo in Joe Crawford versus Cooperstown’s 6-8 bruiser in Owen Kennedy. This was the third consecutive final between the two, and it looked to be explosive from the get-go.

“This is three years in a row that the two of them have squared off,” Tully head coach (and Section III Class C Coach of the Year) Ryan Dando said. “Kennedy really played well, but neither kid came out of the game. They both played for 32 minutes.”

They played for 32 minutes, but in the end, it all came down to the last four seconds and players who were almost a foot shorter.

Owen Kenndy Jr. (left) tries to get the ball from Joe Crawford. Tully and Cooperstown played for the Section III Class C boys basketball championship on Sunday at the Carrier Dome. (Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com)

The Black Knights endured a furious rally by the defending Class C champions, being outscored 19-8 in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for the Hawkeyes, the third time was the charm, and the Black Knights walked off the court with a 49-48 victory and a Class C banner. Kennedy and Crawford did not disappoint either, with a combined 33 points (Kennedy winning that battle, 24-9). Jake Edinger was the man of the moment, however, going up for eight rebounds and 16 points to help him make the Section III All-Tournament Team.

“We knew we had to shut down Kennedy,” Edinger said of the Hawkeyes’ senior (who also made the All-Tournament Team with junior Jack Lambert). “We knew we had to be defending the arc too. They have shooters, we knew we had to cover everyone.”

From the opening tip, that was exactly what the Black Knights did, holding Kennedy to just one block and no points for a fair amount of the first quarter. As a matter of fact, the Hawkeyes went stone-cold from the floor, shooting a dismal 15 percent and going scoreless for the first five minutes of the game, broken by a layup by junior Noah Lifgren. Meanwhile, Tully’s offense was red-hot, getting points from four different players in a 14-2 run to start the game.

Noah Lifgren puts pressure on Jake Edinger early in the fourth quarter. Tully and Cooperstown played for the Section III Class C boys basketball championship on Sunday at the Carrier Dome. (Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com)

On defense, true to Edinger’s word, Tully’s defense, led by Crawford and senior Thomas Morse, bullied Kennedy for most of the quarter. The Black Knights would only allow Kennedy a layup with just 12 seconds left in the quarter to make the score 14-4 at the first quarter buzzer.

The two big men would trade blocks to start the second quarter, but it would be the Black Knights that would come roaring out of the gate, scoring the first five points of the second quarter as well. It would be over two minutes before the unusually-stagnant long-range shooting would come alive for Cooperstown (they had gone 0-2 in the first quarter), on the hands of junior Calvin Sandler. Freshman Spencer Lewis would try to put a spark in the Cooperstown offense, hitting a three-pointer of his own to cut the lead to 11 late in the first half.

Unfortunately, Tully’s stifling 2-3 defense continued to give the Hawkeyes problems. The Black Knights forced two big Cooperstown turnovers that could have potentially cut the lead to single digits and used them to their own advantage, extending the lead to 16 before the halftime break.

“We just tried to get plays to the rim,” Dando said, “and then it was just defense. We rotated around, trying to stop the big play. … They have a lot of offensive weapons.”

One of those offensive weapons in Kennedy finally came alive for Cooperstown in the third quarter. The senior scored the first four points of the period to cut into the lead amid constant harassment from the Tully defense throughout, forcing bad passes and turnovers from everywhere as they sped around, picking up almost every loose ball. Despite all of that, Kennedy continued to be a force under the basket, scoring 12 of the Hawkeyes’ 15 points (the other three coming from Lewis). Cooperstown would outscore the Black Knights 15-11 in the quarter to cut the lead to 12 as their scorers finally got hot, shooting 47 percent from the field.

“Owen played really well,” Cooperstown head coach David Bertram said. “They [Kennedy and Crawford] were both blocking shots, [but Owen] was pumping them up on the sidelines all day.”

Dante Cuttino goes to the basket. Tully and Cooperstown played for the Section III Class C boys basketball championship on Sunday at the Carrier Dome. (Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com)

Junior Jack Lambert would take center stage in the fourth quarter, starting off with a quick layup to cut the lead to 10 just a few seconds into the final period. In the meantime, the rest of the Hawkeyes, including the student section, turned the heat up with every trip down the court, holding the Black Knights to one point for most of the quarter. Tully would only make three shots in the period, shooting only 25 percent in the period while their margin got smaller and smaller.

Kennedy would end up being another problem for the Black Knights, scoring six straight points on his own to cut the lead to four halfway through the final quarter. His seventh and eighth points would tie it up, while Lambert hit a big shot from mid-range to give the Hawkeyes their first lead with just three minutes left. However, neither Dando nor Edinger were worried that the Black Knights would come away with the win.

“Coach was just hyping us up, telling us to play smart,” Edinger said.

Despite the fact that Tully was being outscored 15-3 in the quarter, it was a back-and-forth affair for the final two minutes of the game, with Cooperstown only able to pick up a four point lead. It would come down to that final minute, as Crawford, along with fellow senior Dante Cuttino, scored the only baskets and tried to keep the ball out of the Hawkeyes’ hands. However, with just four seconds left, a jump-ball call gave Cooperstown possession with a chance for some last-minute drama.

Unfortunately for Bertram and the Hawkeyes, it was not meant to be, as a mid-range shot by Lambert fell tragically short as the buzzer sounded and the court flooded with jubilant Black Knights.

“We knew we needed to make changes,” Bertram said. “We just made them too late. They make a couple of shots, a couple of loose balls go their direction, it’s a different game. That was a tough one to swallow.”

“It’s like a dream come true,” Edinger said of finally getting over the three years of futility. “There were a lot of obstacles, but we fought through them all. It always feels good to come out on top, especially against Cooperstown. … It was our time.”

With the win, the Black Knights finally pick up a Class C banner and extend their season by at least one game. They will face Section IV Class C champion Unadilla Valley, who knocked off Tioga on Sunday, 58-48. However, the prospect of a state championship for the Black Knights is still far over the horizon.

“It feels great. … I’m really happy for the kids. They put in the work, I’m proud of them, and we told them they have to enjoy it,” Dando said. “There’s a lot of kids that got us to this point. We focus on one game at a time…’C’ is a very competitive class.”

“Our goal is to take it one day at a time,” Edinger said. “We’ll keep fighting, keep grinding and chase that state title.”

Meanwhile, Bertram will say goodbye to three seniors, including Kennedy, who will walk off Jim Boeheim Court at the Carrier Dome having gone to three straight sectional finals.

“I’m proud of all of them, coming back from a deficit like that,” Bertram said. “The biggest word I used was I’m proud of them that they got this far.”

Even so, as they say in sports, two out of three isn’t bad, and this is certainly true for the Cooperstown Hawkeyes.

The fourth-seeded Eagles trailed for a mere 14 seconds in stunning top-seeded Madison 54-53 to win the Section 3 Class D title Sunday at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse.

Maurice Peterson scored 15 points, while Tournament Most Valuable Player Dakota Stauber had 13 as the Eagles jumped out to a big early lead and held off a furious rally by Madison to claim its first-ever sectional title. Making the victory even sweeter was the fact the Eagles were blown out 71-41 by Madison in last season’s final, lost both regular season matchups this season, and hadn’t defeated their Central Counties League rival since 2014.

“The whole season we’ve had the thought process of coming back and playing Madison in the final,” said McGraw forward Chris Pickert, who scored seven and accounted for the winning point. “I haven’t beaten them in my basketball career and winning the title is the greatest feeling ever.”

Madison and McGraw squared off for the boys Class D sectional championship on Sunday at the Carrier Dome. (Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com)

McGraw (18-4) advanced to play Section 10’s Harrisville in a regional final at 1 p.m. Saturday March 10 at SRC Arena. Harrisville knocked off Madison in last year’s regional final.

Spencer Haviland scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half for the 2017 Class D champs. The Blue Devils’ all-time leading scorer, Sam Matteson, closed out his decorated career with 14 points and 15 rebounds, while Alex Cotter had 13 points and 12 rebounds for Madison (20-4).

“We won sectionals last year and as a senior I wanted to come back and say I’m a two-time sectional champ,” Matteson said. “To lose, especially at the Dome, is tough.”

The Blue Devils, who trailed by as much as 16 in the first half, steadily cut into McGraw’s lead. Their defensive pressure and some unforced turnovers by the Eagles, helped the Blue Devils’ cause. After rough starts, Colton Stone and Haviland began heating up as Madison cut a 12-point deficit at the half to just six after three quarters.

Madison and McGraw squared off for the boys Class D sectional championship on Sunday at the Carrier Dome. (Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com)

Trailing 49-44, the Blue Devils scored six straight points and took its first lead of the game on Haviland’s three-pointer from the top of the key with 1:47 remaining.

That lead lasted just 14 seconds as McGraw beat Madison’s pressure down the floor and regained the advantage on a lay-in by Chase Curtis. After a defensive stop, McGraw extended its advantage to 54-50 on a conventional three-point play by Pickert with 1:06 left.

Haviland answered with a wing three-pointer to close it to 54-53 with 57.2 remaining. The Blue Devils had two chances to take the lead, but after Cotter kicked out a Matteson miss, Haviland’s deep three-pointer was rebounded by Stauber, who was fouled with 2.4 remaining.

Stauber missed the free throw, but all the Blue Devils could manage was a full-court heave by Ethan Snyder, which fell short and sent the Eagles and their faithful fans into a wild celebration.

“McGraw came out and got the tough boards and loose balls in the first half,” Madison head coach Dan Mitchell said. “They outhustled us and we had trouble executing our offense. They had a game plan (defensively) and executed it,” Mitchell said. “Their defense was tough and they came in and wanted it more than us in the first half. We wanted it in the second half but dug a hole.”

Knocking off the defending champs was keyed by a masterful defensive effort by McGraw, which held Madison’s star trio of Matteson, Haviland and Stone to 40 total points — 13 under their combined average. Leading the defensive charge was Pickert, who held Matteson to 7-of-24 shooting from the field.

“It’s a big job,” Pickert said of guarding Matteson. “He’s a great player. I face-guarded him all game and tried to make him shoot over me.”

McGraw head coach Matthew Martins regularly looks to Pickert to guard the opponents’ best offensive player.

“He’s our defensive specialist,” Martins said. “During sectionals he’s held the other team’s top player down. He did a great job defensively today on Sam.”

Joining in on the defensive effort was Stauber and Maurice Peterson, who kept Haviland and Stone without a field goal until 34 seconds remained in the first half. Haviland and Stone were held to just one-for-10 from the field in the opening half, allowing McGraw to hold a 36-24 advantage at the break.

“We knew exactly who we had to guard and we stuck to that all game,” Stauber said. “They have three top players and we tried to make their other players make baskets. We kept our composure no matter what they threw at us and were able to get the win.”

Tyler Card gets a shot off in traffic. Madison and McGraw squared off for the boys Class D sectional championship on Sunday at the Carrier Dome. (Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com)

With the McGraw defensive game plan working to near perfection, it was an unlikely source keeping Madison within striking distance as Cotter, an undersized forward/center was scrappy under the basket, recording five offensive rebounds and scoring a team-high 10 points in the first half.

“He was incredible in the first half,” Mitchell said of Cotter. “He played the game of his life. We needed it and he was our spark on the offensive end.”

Cotter, who entered the game averaging just 2.4 points per game, finished with eight offensive rebounds that led to a 5-for-7 performance from the line. Despite the career game, Cotter would trade all his points and rebounds for a victory.

“It’s just tough right now to think of all the things we could’ve done to win it,” Cotter said. “We came out really slow and made it a lot harder on us. We just couldn’t come back all the way.”

The Indians (7-10), who were swept by the Bulldogs in the regular season, also received 13 assists from Alex Philpotts, 10 kills and four digs from Josh Ward, and 12 assists and three kills from Aidan Spataro.

“We always play better when we’re calm and relaxed,” Mazza said. “When we play relaxed, we play like we did tonight. It was definitely our intensity tonight. We played with intensity, but still were able to remain relaxed and play our game.”

Mike Sweeney had 14 assists, seven kills and four digs for the Bulldogs (8-9). Westmoreland also received key contributions from seniors Carlos Colon (12 digs) and Sam Sill, who had eight kills and three blocks.

“We had a bad mentality today,” Sill said. “We didn’t play well and our coverage on tips wasn’t there tonight. It was a tough loss but it was a great season.”

In the opening set, Sauquoit Valley built a comfortable lead and appeared to be headed to an easy victory. The Indians led 14-8 after a five-point run, led by tough serving by Mazza. The Bulldogs made a few runs to narrow the lead, but Sauquoit still led 22-17 after Mazza put away a perfect set by Philpotts.

The Bulldogs responded, winning seven of the next eight points to gain a set point. The final point in that run was a great hustle play by the Bulldogs’ Bryce Daskiewich, who turned the point around with a diving dig.

Sauquoit didn’t fold under the pressure and staved off the first as Westmoreland made an unforced error that knotted things at 24. The Indians returned the favor by dumping one into the net to give the Bulldogs another set point, but Sauquoit rattled off three straight points to take the set.

The first came on a kill by Ward to make it 25-25. Then Mazza made a lefty kill, his fifth of the set, to make it 26-25. Ward, just a sophomore, ended the set in style with an ace to give the Indians a huge lift.

“He’s not the most flashy or dynamic player, but he’s the most consistent player we have,” Sauquoit Valley head coach Joe Miller said of Mazza. “Really those two (Mazza and Ward) have been our most consistent players all season.”

Sauquoit used that momentum to its advantage and jumped out to a 14-5 lead in the second. The Bulldogs rallied and trailed just 20-16, but Mazza’s had two kills and a block to help the Indians take the set 25-19.

“Losing that first serve after we made that big comeback was a big momentum shift,” Westmoreland head coach Tim Gates said. “That was a lot of work with no result. Then we got off to a slow start in the second, and then we couldn’t gain any separation in the third.”

Once again, the Indians got off to a hot start to take an early 4-1 lead. Playing with some desperation, the Bulldogs, behind a kill from Sweeney, plus a kill and block by Joe Schreck rattled off seven of eight points for an 8-5 lead. The teams traded leads throughout the middle of the set, but the Indians took the lead for good and led 18-16 after three straight errors by Westmoreland.

“We didn’t play well,” Gates said. “We had a lot of kids on vacation last week and we weren’t able to practice and we were a little rusty tonight. But Sauquoit played well. They hit the ball well and handled the ball very well. That’s the best I’ve seen them play.”

Trailing 23-18, the Bulldogs made one final run, winning three of four points to close to within 23-21. With his team needing a point, the Indians again received a big play by Mazza, who made a nice block that forced Westmoreland to hit it into the net.

Westmoreland denied the Indians’ first match point as Sill smashed a kill off Sauquoit’s block. On the next point the Indians ended it on a perfect setup as Brandon George passed to Philpotts who made a perfect set to Ward for the clinching kill.

“We covered well and (Westmoreland) hurt themselves,” Ward said. “We came together. The chemistry was there. Our passing was on and we were energetic and didn’t play flat-footed.”

Mazza is excited to extend his high school career.

“It feels great,” Mazza said. “We had some struggles this season. Nobody thought we’d get here, but we made it and will play Canastota in the final.”

The Indians certainly had to deal with some growing pains, but are playing their best volleyball at the right time.

“In the beginning of the year we were six individuals on the floor,” Sauquoit Valley head coach Joe Miller said. “Now they are a team. Canastota will be a tough game, but we’ll go out and do waht we did today. In the sectional finals, anything can happen.”

]]>Auburn Skates Past Warriors, 5-1https://midyorksportsreport.com/2018/02/auburn-skates-past-warriors-5-1/
Tue, 27 Feb 2018 02:13:10 +0000https://midyorksportsreport.com/?p=9125Syracuse, NY – In the early going of Monday night’s Section 3, Division II high school hockey championship game, it looked as though the Clinton Warriors were going to extend their winning streak to 10 games and roll into the NYSPHSAA Tournament as the Section III Champ.

The first period saw the Warriors forwards forechecking the Auburn Maroons into submission, which resulted in a goal by Mark Novak just 3 minutes and 54 seconds into the period, putting Clinton up 1-0. Couple that offensive fortitude with a period to remember from Warriors netminder Brian Saunders, who made 11 saves on 11 (quality) shots and the Warriors had plenty to be excited about.

Auburn’s Jake Morin has his first period shot rejected by Clinton goalie Brian Saunders (29). Morin would get his revenge though, tallying 3 goals on the night. Photo By: Jeff Pexton – Perfect Game Imaging

Unfortunately for Clinton and the legion of fans who made the trip to Syracuse, the second period was nothing like the first.

United States Military Academy at West Point (lacrosse) recruit Jake Morin whistled a wrister past Saunders from just inside the Clinton blue line with 5:21 remaining in the second period to tie the game at 1-1 and just like the that, the momentum shifted for good.

Morin would add two more goals and the other half of the Maroons two dimensional offense, Johnny Malandruccolo, notched two goals of his own over the next period and a half to cap a 5-0 Auburn scoring run, resulting in a 5-1 win for Auburn and the Section III Championship.

Morin and Malandruccolo entered tonight’s contest with a combined 123 points for Auburn on the season.

While the incredible Clinton run may have ended just short of the intended goal, the Warriors can look back on this season and do nothing but smile. Considering Clinton began the season by winning just 2 of their first 9 games, a run to the Section III title had to seem like a fantasy midway through the season.

That’s when January 30th came along and the Warriors knocked off these same Auburn Maroons by a score of 5-4. Suddenly, a belief in each other and a belief in a system that Coach John Davignon was preaching all came together. Clinton rattled off 9 straight wins, didn’t lose a game in February until tonight and turned a season on the brink into one that they’ll never forget.

Congratulations to Auburn on a great win and best of luck in the State Tournament.

Hat’s off to Clinton (13-8-2) on turning what looked like a season to forget early on, into a season that made the entire community proud.

1 2 3 Total

Clinton 1 0 0 1

Auburn 0 2 3 5

]]>Pioneers Set to Face Elmira on Saturdayhttps://midyorksportsreport.com/2018/02/pioneers-set-to-face-elmira-on-saturday/
Mon, 26 Feb 2018 12:58:50 +0000https://midyorksportsreport.com/?p=9116UTICA, NY- The nationally-ranked No. 9/10 Utica College men’s hockey team came away with a 5-2 win in the semifinals of the UCHC Conference Tournament against sixth-seeded Neumann University on Saturday afternoon at the Adirondack Bank Center.

The Pioneers advance to the conference finals for the second straight season and the third time in the last four years. Utica will await the winner of the Stevenson-Elmira semifinal for the championship game next Saturday at the Adirondack Bank Center at 7 p.m. Tickets for the UCHC championship will go on sale at the Adirondack Bank Center box office at 12 p.m. on Sunday.

Utica (20-5-1) has now reached 20 wins in a season for just the second time in program history. UC is also 12-1-1 on its home ice this season with its only loss at home coming on Nov. 11 against Elmira College.

Utica’s Daniel Fritz (Harwood, MD/Canisius College (Atlantic Hockey)) cut the Pioneers’ second period deficit in half when he rifled home a shot from the point to make it a 2-1 contest with just 41 seconds remaining in the period. Freshman Conor Landrigan (New Tripoli, PA/Binghamton Jr. Sens (NAHL)) and junior Gregg Burmaster (Clinton, NY/Colorado College (NCHC)) were each credited with an assist on the power play goal.

The third period was all Utica as the Pioneers scored four unanswered goals in the final frame, including three tallies in 48 seconds. Landrigan evened the score at 8:13 as a puck deflected off him in front and into the net for his 13th of the year. Burmaster and Dalton Carter (Toledo, OH/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) earned assists on the play.

Senior Kevin Valenti (Queensbury, NY/Northern Cyclones (EHL)) put the Pioneers ahead just :26 later as he put in a rebound off a Zach Borsoi (Brossard, Quebec/Gloucester (CCHL)) shot for his eighth of the season. Burmaster registered his third assist of the day on the game-winner.

Senior Roman Ammirato (Williamstown, NJ/Union College (ECAC)) added an insurance goal at 9:01 as he redirected a shot by Brett Szajner (Novi, MI/Amarillo (NAHL)) to give Utica a 4-2 lead. Anthony McVeigh(Kemptville, Ontario/Carleton Place (CCHL)) also assisted on Ammirato’s team-leading 21st goal of the year.

Utica capped off the scoring at 14:51 when Jacob Gerson (Colorado Springs, CO/Hampton Roads (USPHL))found the back of the net for his eighth of the year, assisted by Vince Stefan and Tyler Pietrowski (Curtice, OH/Odessa Jackalopes (NAHL)).

UC goalie Patrik Virtanen (Vantaa, Finland/Lincoln (USHL)) stopped 27 shots for the Pioneers, while his counterpart Matt Gibney made 34 saves for the Knights. The Pioneers were 1-for-3 on the power play while holding Neumann scoreless on two opportunities with the man advantage.

The third-seeded Indians overcame a slow start and slowly pulled away from second-seeded Sackets Harbor for a 59-39 victory Sunday in a Class D semifinal at OCC’s Allyn Gymnasium. Waterville (19-4) plays top-seeded Brookfield for the title at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Carrier Dome.

“(Sackets Harbor) is a physical team and we just had to grind it out,” Waterville head coach Larry Stockwell said. “My freshman (Janelle Cleary) hit some big shots for us to help us extend the lead.”

Balance was the key for the Indians, who had five players score nine points or more. Cleary led the way with 14 points, including six in the second quarter where Waterville outscored the Patriots 16-9 to grab the lead for good.

Molly Williams had 13 and senior guard Sophie Wittenbeck hit three 3-pointers to finish with 11 points. Aliah Decker — who also had three 3-pointers — and Kathleen Gallagher each finished with nine points.

Waterville point guard Sophie Wittenbeck (24) MYSR File Photo

“I think we played as a team,” said Wittenbeck, who’s been on Waterville’s varsity for three years after transferring from Notre Dame after her freshman season.

“Everyone contributed and we stayed positive and picked each other up when things weren’t going like we wanted. We know each other so well and that’s what makes us a good team.”

Now it’s on to the Dome, where Waterville will hope to win its first sectional title since taking the Class C-1 title in 2005.

Waterville freshman Molly Williams (15) (MYSR File Photo)

“It’s everything,” Wittenbeck said of making it to the Dome. “I’ve been waiting my whole life for this. Probably since I was four. I can’t even contain my excitement.”

This isn’t the first time Stockwell has been to the finals as he led the Indians to sectional titles in 1989, 1997, 2003 and 2005. A fifth would also accomplish a rare feat for the longtime head coach.

“If we win, I’ll have won titles in four different decades,” Stockwell said. “It makes me feel old.”